Esports Pre-Season Friendly - "Welcome to Q-Esports!"
This is a false start! Our actual season won't begin for a couple of weeks, so I hadn't planned to write anything until then. But I've been so excited by what happened yesterday, I just can't help myself.
Yesterday, we played Valorant in a rematch against David Beckham's Esports team, Guild Esports. Last year, we faced them in our Valorant team's most high-profile fixture of the year, a gruelling best-of-three match that showcased some of the finest leadership I've ever seen from Captain Peter. This time was different- our first fixture together in months, with two newbies in the squad- Chris and Hannah, I wasn't sure how they would fit in.
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It started badly. Guild is a professional outfit, and they've clearly played a lot over the summer. In a game that ends when one team wins 13 rounds, Guild took the first 11 without reply. At one point, I snapped at Q-Esports to talk to each other more. Fresh out of the blocks for the year, they'd simply forgotten how important communication is. But they soon remembered. And they soon remembered what it feels like to win. The last 10 rounds were played under the pressure of knowing that losing just one more would end the match. Q-Esports proved last year that we're big-game players who thrive under pressure. So, we started winning, and we didn't stop. In one round, Chris was left alone against three of David Beckham's finest. Up against it, with the match at stake, he casually dispatched all three, and won us the round. 'Chris,' I roared, 'welcome to Q-Esports!' The whole team laughed at me - except Captain Peter. He was thinking the exact same thing. So, we lost against Beckham's Guild Esports, but we went one round better than last year. In our first fixture together in months, with two brand new players, with an insane comeback from 11-0 down to 13-10, I'm calling it a win. |
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Next up was Bishop Auckland. "This is a local derby," I told the team. "When people say Queen Ethelburga's is the best school in the north, it's fixtures like this that give us the right to say so." Q-Esports loves being the best. We absolutely demolished them. The tactics clicked perfectly and everybody played their part. It was amazing to see Carrie back in the action. After we won, I briefly congratulated every player and thanked them for being part of the team. To Carrie, I simply said, 'Welcome home.' She smiled and replied, 'It's good to be back.'
Our best player in both games was Hannah. What a superb shot in the arm she is for the team. She plays unlike anyone else - casually, sitting cross-legged, swinging in her chair during rounds, often looking distracted, even bored. The casual stance, however, belies a world of tactical shrewdness and the reflexes of a fighter pilot. She's also incredibly humble. When we won the second match, I told them I was going to send this email to you all, "because I want to make my whole team famous."
"Why?" Hannah asked, bashfully, "we only won a friendly."
You cemented your place in the team, Hannah. The whole lot of you did. And, you've reminded me what I love most about my job- seeing people find their place in #TeamQE.
You'll be hearing a lot more from me when the Winter season begins in a few weeks!
We’re always excited to welcome new players to our Q-Esports team! If you’re interested in joining, come meet us at our next Open Day or book a private tour of the QE Faculty. Fill out the contact form to learn more.
